Scottish-born scientist and inventor (1847–1922) who conceived the telephone, founded the Bell Telephone Company, and invented various devices for aiding the deaf. TLS, one page, 8 x 10.5, “Beinn Bhreagh,” Nova Scotia letterhead, October 12, 1908. Bell writes to Winfield Scott Clime, a photographer for the Department of Agriculture in Washington. In part: “Our understanding is that you will give me your services here as photographer for two or three weeks free of charge provided I pay your expenses and the expenses of transportation of apparatus etc. so that you shall be at no charge during your vacation. This was a generous proposition on your part which I very gladly accept…. Mrs. Bell and I are looking forward with great pleasure to your visit here and we hope you will make our house your home while you remain. In regard to photographic apparatus at Baddeck, we are very poorly off and we have no one here who can lay claim to be anything but a poor amateur at the art. It would be safest for you to assume that we have nothing here excepting a darkroom, that you would want. It would be better for you to supply yourself at my expense with everything required. I enclose cheque for One Hundred and Fifty Dollars … on account.” Clime (1881–1958), a prominent painter as well as photographer, was an associate of the Wright Brothers who documented a number of the brothers’ test and demonstration flights. Bell’s “invitation” to Clime was likely related to the inventor’s aeronautical experiments near his Nova Scotia home, undertaken in association with Glenn Curtiss and others, which involved kite-like aircraft and resulted in the development of the hydrofoil. Intersecting mailing folds (vertical fold between first and middle names), a few pinholes and mild wrinkles, and faint offsetting of letterhead to bottom margin, otherwise fine condition. R&R COA.
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